Present day endless track laying work machines utilize a propulsion system in which an endless rubber belt is frictionally driven as it is entrained about a pair of wheels. Problems encountered in actually reducing such an endless track laying work machine to practice include how to maintain adequate tension on such belt, and keeping the belt in lateral alignment with the wheels when the wheels are subject to large lateral loads. Other problems are maintaining the structural integrity and providing long life for the belt, mid-rollers, drive wheels, and idler wheels.
A common problem with endless track laying work machines utilizing endless rubber belts is wear of drive train components. Wear is caused by the continuous contact and heat generated between the endless rubber belts and other drive components, such as the drive wheel, the idler wheel, and the mid-rollers. This is most prevalent with the mid-rollers because of the speed at which they rotate in contrast to the drive and idler wheels, due to the mid-rollers generally being smaller in diameter.
Examples of prior solutions are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,984,524 and 5,141,299. In both examples a wear strep is provided on the inner shoulders of a segmented wheel. These wear strips provide a surface for the guiding members of the endless track to make contact as the track moves between segments of the wheel. Both patents provide a fix for increasing the life of the drive train components. However, neither patent addresses the difference in angular velocity between the contact points of the segmented wheel and the endless track as the endless track makes contact with the wheels.
The present invention is directed to overcome one or more of the problems as set forth above.